The Firebending Disaster
by Thrillzone
Summary: Takes place during 'The Firebending Masters'. A small miscalculation on the dragons' parts leaves Aang and Zuko's delicate friendship completely shattered. How will they deal with this recent turn of events? Zukaang / AangxZuko.
1. Introduction

Listening intently to the continuous beating of the drums, Aang shifted his weight from side to side to match their rhythm. His mind completely blank, the avatar chose to focus on dancing and dancing alone. He didn't know why he had suddenly gotten the idea that a performance would somehow appease the dragons, but it seemed to be working. The airbender felt relieved, but knew that exhaustion was beginning to take over. Yet, something kept him going -- something other than the sharp glare the dragon was shooting at his general direction.

Aang's swift movements, which to him, consisted of wild, meaningless limb-flailing, were starting to slow down significantly. He didn't know how much longer he could keep up with the dragon's erratic curling strokes, and, based on Zuko's heavy pants behind him, the prince probably felt the same way. Aang swore that he was getting carpal tunnel in his right wrist, and felt that he was becoming a little flatfooted.

At last, they reached the final step and Aang hurriedly curved his body to one side, his knuckles clacking painfully against Zuko's as they formed a near-perfect arch. There they stood, two powerful forces practically merging as one. The dragons halted as well and watched the pair closely.

Aang didn't know how much longer he could hold that beatings of the drums had long stopped, and instead were replaced by the faint beating of the dragons' wings. His arms wouldn't stop shaking. His hands were mashing against Zuko's fists and annoying the other boy, no doubt—

_ROAAAR!_

"AAAAAH!" The boys simultaneously yelled, and that should have been their final words because they were engulfed in a variegated, but otherwise painless series of flames.

_Ping._

A sudden jolt reverberated in Aang's stomach, and the twelve-year-old jumped about a foot in the air. Luckily, no one noticed. Zuko in particular was too entranced by the swirling flames, and so was he, to a certain degree, but...

What had he just felt a second ago? It was like a brief, but powerful urge. For a moment, he wanted to jump off that tower, not as a crazed suicide attempt, but because he had experienced an odd sensation that assured him of his survival. It had been electrifying and nerve-wracking at the same time. Exhilarating, as well.

Scary, even...

Aang tried to take his mind off the incident by concentrating on one lone purple ember that was circling at a slower rate than the others. The fire _was_ beautiful, after all. How could he not be captivated by it? Daring to breathe, Aang decided to forget the event – for the moment.

He closed his eyes and allowed his inner avatar to absorb the power being bestowed upon him. "I understand," came Zuko's soft but distinguishable murmur. 'I don't,' Aang wanted to reply.

"Their fire was beautiful. I saw so many colors, colors I've never imagined," Zuko told the sun warrior chief when they arrived at the base of the tower. A glazed expression shone on his face.

"Like firebending harmony." Aang's voice was, in contrast, hollow and cracked slightly when he spoke. He was still a bit lightheaded from the entire experience. Something felt _off._ There was a strange tingling sensation in his hands and stomach. He couldn't feel the ground beneath his feet, or his own nails digging into his palms. Was this supposed to be the dragon's idea of power? Taking away his sense of touch? How come Zuko didn't seem to be affected by it?

"Yes. They judged you, and gave you visions of the meaning of firebending." Aang wanted to protest; all he had seen was a bunch of colors, and felt as if he had been force-fed a whole gallon of cactus juice instead of undergoing a life-changing epiphany.

"I can't believe there are still living dragons. My Uncle Iroh said he faced the last dragon and killed it."

"So, your Uncle lied." Aang spoke just to make it seem like he was paying attention. The strange feeling did not want to leave, it seemed.

"Actually, it wasn't a total lie. Iroh was the last outsider to face the masters. They deemed him worthy and passed the secret onto him as well."

"He must have lied to protect them, so no one else would hunt them."

"All this time, I thought firebending was destruction. Since I hurt Katara, I've been too afraid and hesitant. But now I know what it really is… It's energy, and life. " Energy – that's all it is, Aang tried to convince himself. So why did it feel so awkward? He felt more knowledgeable about firebending, yes, but none of the other elements had produced that kind of effect when he was able to get a hang of them.

"Yeah. It's like the Sun, but inside of you. Do you guys realize this‌?"

"Well, our civilization _is _called the Sun Warriors… so yeah."

_Ping._

Aang froze. There it was again. What he had been feeling earlier – the awkward sensation – suddenly multiplied tenfold, and he felt the urge to tear his own skin off. Everything felt hot and itchy. The twelve-year-old was beginning to see spots dancing in the corners of his vision.

Zuko seemed to be swaying where he stood, and Aang realized that the other teenager could feel it too.

"Uh... Sun warrior... Chief... Hotman... Guy?" The avatar mumbled, feebly grabbing at his pale arms and rubbing them vigorously. The chief looked slightly put out by the nickname, but turned to look at him.

"I don't feel too good... What's going... On?" He was staring straight at the spot Zuko was standing in a second earlier, but the exiled prince had been replaced by a large red blur. Aang blinked. The blur was glinting almost invitingly, silently pleading to be touched. Who was Aang to deny its whims...? The boy stumbled forward, stretching his arms... He wanted to hold it, too...

His hands scrabbled helplessly and found something soft in front of him. Hastily grabbing it, Aang used the fabric-like object as leverage and heaved himself forward, his eyes glassy as the red shape grew bigger... He was getting closer and closer to it...

Aang was not quite sure why his mouth met the object before any other part of his body, but the moment his lips touched something firm and wet, the itch, the uncomfortable aura, and everything else that had plagued him moments earlier, disappeared completely. It was as if the red mass absorbed it all. Things abruptly snapped back into place.

...He suddenly found himself staring straight into the confused, golden eyes of his former archenemy, their lips locked in a chaste kiss.

"AAAAHHH!"

It was like the dragons roaring all over again, for the combined shouts coming from both Aang and Zuko most likely produced enough sound waves to knock down the wall of Ba Sing Se. They jumped backwards, away from each other, spitting profusely and grabbing at their mouths.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST DO?!" Zuko shrieked, his voice several octaves higher than usual.

"I JUST KISSED YOU!" Aang yelled back. "BUT WHY?!" He added, without thinking.

"I SHOULD BE ASKING YOU THAT, YOU IDIOT!" Aang was about to retort, but the itch was coming back and he cursed to himself. Why, oh why, was he feeling this way?

"QUIET!" The sun warrior chief hollered, and the boys were reminded of his presence.

"Is—Is this some kind of prank to you?" Zuko said icily, and Aang shuddered under the firebender's gaze. The scarred boy stiffened, his brow furrowed and Aang had a strong desire to ask if he was feeling it again, too... The sensation was getting stronger again, as if the kiss had only gotten rid of it for a moment.

"N-no. I had no idea why I did that. S-sorry."

"Well, you can't just go around and k... Kiss..." Zuko wrinkled his nose, and Aang knew that he had pictured what had just happened in his head. It wasn't a pretty image to either of them. At all.

"You can't..." Zuko repeated, but Aang was no longer paying attention. The tingling sensation was heightening at an alarming rate, and he was barely aware of what Zuko was saying. He simply starred at the rambling boy, willing his own body to shut down so his mind would as well, and he wouldn't have to feel that itch anymore...

"You can't just..." The raven-haired teen began a third time.

_Ping._

Without hesitation, Zuko grabbed Aang by the shoulders and briefly planted his lips on the other boy's.

"...Kiss someone?" The firebender finished, blinking.

"AUGH!" They were both spitting and making vomiting noises again, but the itch was gone. Aang didn't feel any relief, however, because he knew, that deep inside, it would come back like earlier.

"Oh, dear." The deep voice of the sun warrior chief alerted them once again to his presence.

"'_Oh, dear?_'" Zuko repeated harshly. "_'Oh, dear'_?! Is that all you have to say?! What did those dragons do to us?! They gave us _power, _but..." He shot out a large ball of fire from his palm to further illustrate his point. "...You never said something like this would happen!"

"As thankful as I am to have learned your secrets," Aang said, a bit more politely but with an equally distressed tone. "I have to agree with Zuko. This... Isn't what we signed up for, and frankly, it's scaring me. A lot!"

"Calm down, or else you'll trigger it once more." The two boys then stepped back, eyes wide. They chose not to speak, in fear of another repetition of events.

"I'm afraid the dragons gave you a bit _too much_ power," The man explained, a grave expression on his face. "Yes, they have shared with you the knowledge of true firebending, but in doing so, they instilled some of their own energy in you... And right now, you are both carrying much more energy that any human should ever carry in their lifetime."

"Does this mean we're going to... Die?" Aang whispered.

"Yes."

The boys looked aghast.

"...Just kidding." Allowing himself to chuckle, the sun warrior chief rubbed his bare stomach with satisfaction.

"This – isn't – funny." Zuko growled with gritted teeth. "And you haven't explained why we end up... Kissing..." Both teenagers shuddered. "...Every five minutes."

"Tell us how we can fix this... _Please_," Aang all but begged.

"When too much energy becomes trapped in your body, it seeks an outlet. In your case, it has chosen your own strong emotions as a means of escape, but the only way you can expel excess energy is through physical, and sometimes sexual contact."

"That doesn't make any sense," Zuko looked visibly angrily and equally alarmed.

"It does," the sun warrior chief countered. "For two flames that join together produce even more smoke than before. You will only be able to release copious amounts of energy by touching each other. This will have to be done routinely until all of the excess power eventually runs out."

"Or," The former prince argued. "We could just ignore these urges and get on with our lives, right? At least _I_ can." He shot a look at Aang, who returned the glare wholeheartedly.

"If you do not succumb to the urges, let's just say, things will get more... And more... Problematic, for the both of you."

Aang and Zuko gawked at each other, both of them too taken aback by the turn of events to even make a sound.

------

"I _told _you we shouldn't have come here." They were both walking side-by-side back to where Appa was waiting, making sure to keep a large distance between the two of them.

"Me?!" Zuko retorted. "It was your blind friend that suggested it! I just—" _Ping!_

Aang's feet moved of their own accord, and the airbender leapt a good ten feet towards Zuko, involuntarily tackling him and kissing him briefly. After that, neither boy spoke, Aang frozen on top of the older boy, staring down at the disgruntled face beneath him.

"Look," Zuko huffed, and, ignoring his reddening cheeks, shoved Aang off him. The firebender stood up and dusted off his clothes. "I don't have any... Feelings for you, okay? So don't get any ideas."

"Hey, I'm the one who has no choice here! I've never even kissed a guy before!" They were arguing again, Aang noticed, but he was too irate to hold back.

"And _I _have?!"

"You _might_ have."

"What's that supposed to mean?! I don't—"

_Ping. _The boys paused.

"Let's just... Stop." Zuko finished, looking absolutely forlorn and defeated as he resumed walking more briskly than ever before. Aang got up from the ground and scurried after him.

"But—"

"I don't _care_ what that crazy chief says. We'll just ignore it, okay?"

_Ping._

Aang noticed that Zuko's pace was quickening, in an attempt to get away from him.

"But Zuko—"

"Don't," the boy in front of him pleaded in a choked voice, and Aang decided to stop talking altogether. The two boys resumed walking, trying to appreciate the painful silence and ignore the growing restlessness that had taken a hold of the both of them. It was getting heavier by the second, and they could feel it growing...

_Ping._

_Ping._

_Ping._

Aang didn't want to say it out loud, horrified by the fact that he was even thinking of it, but at that precise moment, he would have traded a thousand encounters with the Fire Lord just to be able to touch Zuko one more time.

**To be continued**


	2. Intensification

They flew in complete silence towards the Western Air Temple, both boys making no attempt to even make eye contact, much less start a conversation. Aang would later on call it the most uncomfortable three hours of his life, for he spent the entire trip quaking, hugging himself in an attempt to show that stupid energy exactly who was boss.

But the young airbender knew his efforts were futile. He had experienced migraines before, and they weren't pretty, but this was far worse than any sickness he'd ever come down with. Aang's entire body felt like it was on fire, and his heart rate was quicker than it had ever been. He had done his best to quell the pain by grabbing hold of his temples, but to no avail.

_Ping._

_Ping._

_Ping!_

The feeling kept getting stronger, and all Aang wanted to do was turn around and kiss Zuko like there was no tomorrow.

No, wait.

He didn't _want _it. The excess energy desired the physical contact, not Aang himself.

Aang's mind screamed at him, reminding him that he had no feelings for the firebender, and the rest of him agreed without hesitation. Aang knew where his true feelings were directed – an image of Katara swam to the forefront of his thoughts, and for just one moment, Aang felt at peace. He loved Katara, and kissing Zuko a million times wouldn't change that. Ever.

Remembering their one, two, no, _three _(Had it been that many, already?) kisses, the avatar couldn't help but blush. A kiss was a kiss, after all, though it made him feel awful that he now had to add Zuko's name to the list of people he had smooched. He was hoping that Katara would be the only person he would ever share something intimate with throughout his entire reincarnated life, but...

Sighing, Aang dismissed those thoughts for now. It's not as if kissing Zuko had meant anything, anyway. It was the direct opposite of kissing Katara. Whereas Katara's lips were soft and the few kisses they shared had been romantic and passionate (as passionate as a twelve-year-old and a fourteen-year-old could get, anyway) and made butterflies flutter in his stomach, his kiss with Zuko had been anything but. It was rough, messy and both of them didn't even want it – the energies inside their bodies did. Instead of butterflies, Aang would feel as if rocks were falling down to the pit of his belly, but he could not deny that the act gave him satisfaction.

For a little while, at least.

Aang didn't want to admit that he was dying to kiss Zuko again.

"...Avatar?" The boy he had been thinking of suddenly spoke, and Aang was so surprised, he almost fell off his spot on Appa's neck.

The airbender then noted that Zuko had gone back to calling him 'avatar', instead of 'Aang', which the boy had grown to appreciate. Eyes lowering, Aang couldn't deny that the biggest casualty in the event had been their friendship. Sighing once more, he wondered if ever they would be able to look at each other normally again.

"...Yes?" He replied slowly.

"You okay? You haven't said a word." Zuko's voice was weak, almost desperate, and it cracked constantly. That was a big enough indication for Aang that they were feeling the same amount of heightened pain.

"I'm fine." The banished prince didn't continue the conversation after that.

----

Zuko wanted to die, moreso than usual.

His head was pounding and his heartbeat quickened, just to keep up with it. He was hoping Aang would understand why they couldn't keep kissing to their heart's content. It just wasn't _normal_, Zuko thought, and he wanted to reinforce that idea, but the avatar was already acting so distant. Is he mad at me? Zuko asked himself, and Aang's sudden huff from the bison's neck was the perfect answer to his question.

The firebender admitted that it was because he was proud. Part of him couldn't stop screaming, desiring Aang's touch more and more as each moment passed, and yet the other half tried its best to fight back in a losing battle, insisting that he could handle that pain for as long as he lived.

Amidst all the chaos taking place inside his head, Zuko suddenly wondered what Mai would think.

"You call _that _helping your nation?!" She would scream, throwing various daggers in his direction. Convinced that she would never want to get back together with him knowing that he had kissed the avatar, not once, but several times, Zuko's heart felt even heavier. He was hoping to beg for forgiveness after the war, and plead with her to take him back, but the new developments only made it sure that there was truly no turning back now...

He would just have to live with two scars from now on, both never ceasing to give him pain.

----

"Aang! Zuko! You're back!" The two disembarked from Appa's saddle and smiled weakly at the welcoming party. Sokka was running to them excitedly and Toph, who had been sitting on the concrete floor, turned her head in their general direction. Katara stood back, arms crossed, glaring at Zuko as if he had buried Aang somewhere and brought home an imposter in his stead.

"So, how was it?" Sokka asked as he stared at both of them.

"It was fine..." "Great, yeah..." "We learned stuff..." Both of them mumbled incoherently. The water tribe boy blinked.

"Hey, are you guys okay? You look kind of pale and you're both sweating like crazy..." Zuko squeezed his eyes shut, feeling Sokka nudging him repeatedly with a stick. Every poke was making him even more uncomfortable.

"Your heart rates are both off the charts," Toph said loudly. "What are you hiding?"

"Well..." Aang sputtered, then for the first time in hours, looked Zuko straight in the eye with a questioning glance. The firebender reluctantly stared back, and the moment he did, the pain intensified and he felt his knees start to buckle. Seeing the boy mentally asking him '_Should we tell them?_', Zuko steeled himself and shook his head slightly. '_No'_.

"Well, we learned a new move. We're just not sure if you want to see it," The firebender knew that if he had lied, the blind girl would've sensed it right away. He made sure to speak what was true, hiding the more catastrophic events of the trip at the back of his mind.

"Are you kidding?!" Sokka tittered eagerly. "Of course we wanna see it!"

"I'm not so sure about that," Katara interjected. Zuko was, for once, relieved by her words until... "You don't look too good, Aang. Did _he_ do something to you?" Glaring at the scarred boy, the waterbender did not even seem to notice that he was looking as troubled as Aang.

"I'm – fine - Katara," the avatar said in between pants. "Zuko and I are just a bit tired from our training."

"Not too tired to show us some _jerk_bending action, I hope?" Sokka piped up gleefully.

"I guess we have no choice," Aang replied grudgingly. Only Zuko and Katara noticed the tiredness in his voice.

The two firebenders positioned themselves, making sure to stand at an unnaturally far distance from each other, even though the dance required them to be in relatively close proximity. Taking deep breaths, Zuko closed his eyes and tried to focus. It was difficult, with that burning sensation making his limbs feel like jelly. The extra energy inside him was going crazy. It wanted Aang's energy _now_, and the fire prince was doing his best to quell that urge. He would get through this. He had to.

In the corner of his eye, Zuko noticed Aang's finger twitch – that was the signal. The two began to recreate the dance that had led to their current situation.

Despite the fact that they were moving a bit more jerkily than usual, the pair was still able to dance in complete synchronization, accomplishing the same movements with enough grace as they could muster. Knowing their friends were watching, awestruck, Zuko and Aang upped their game, ignoring the pains bothering them. Imagining the beating of the drums once more, the two did not have to worry about any wayward dragon magic this time. The damage had already been done, and all they had to do was repeat the performance for their friends' amusement.

Soon, the dance was almost over.

Clack! Zuko opened his eyes, suddenly noticing that his knuckles had collided with Aang's. And then, his chest and head exploded with fiery pain.

"Ugh..." A few feet away from him, Zuko barely heard the avatar's own groans, but based on the sudden audible _thump_, he knew that the other boy had collapsed to the ground. Their knuckles separated, and Zuko himself stumbled back, seeing nothing but white, white and white.

...And then, a flash of red, pulsing seductively. Aang. His energy yearned to escape and reach out to the other boy's, but Zuko fumbled with his tunic, as if trying to lead his body away from the temptation. He felt his back smack painfully into what felt like a concrete column, and Zuko slid down, exhausted. The back of his head scraped against the pillar, adding to the already intense pain in his cranium.

He could not see much. Spots appeared and disappeared like sparks of fire, but the biggest one was colored red and Zuko noticed some black shapes crowding around it... _Ping, ping, ping_. He was too tired to even move, too exhausted to satisfy the energy's desires. It was eating at him. He could feel it. How much longer would he be able to last?

"Aang!"

"Aang, are you okay?!"

"What's wrong with Twinkle-toes?"

"I'm fine, guys... Just tired..." Came Aang's faint whisper. The avatar fell unconscious, his breathing labored.

The logical part of Zuko urged him to check if Aang was okay, but his body refused to budge. A black blotch was growing bigger, and soon enough, the waterbender materialized in front of him. Zuko looked up at her blearily, not reacting to her enraged expression.

"You did something to him," She accused, her fingers already inching for the water skin at her waist. Zuko's only reply was to clutch his head and emit a soft whine.

"Hang on, Katara," came the non-bender's voice from a distance away. "Zuko's just as unwell as Aang. Something happened to the both of them, and what we need to do now is help them get better. No use pointing fingers."

Huffing, the watertribe girl knew he was right, and allowed herself to be led away to take care of Aang. Zuko relaxed his shoulders, and simply sat against the column. Great, he thought, mentally kicking himself. She was madder than ever, and was probably going to kill him for letting Aang get hurt. How could things get any worse?

----

Hours later, the sky had darkened and Zuko felt that there had hardly been any improvement in his condition, but he could see well again, and the excruciating pain had been reduced to a dull ache. He realized that keeping himself stoic as possible, by concealing his emotions the best that he could, he was able to control the energy and keep it trapped and passive. Sitting alone and far away from Aang had helped, too. The firebender breathed a sigh of relief, hoping that the worst was over.

Footsteps. Zuko groaned inwardly. Scratch that, he thought, and took back his words.

"I need to talk to you," That scathing, smooth-as-water voice told him it was the angry girl again, and the scarred boy felt a flash of irritation pass through him briefly. Couldn't she bother him some other time?! Her angry threats were getting really old.

Willing himself to calm down, Zuko slowly stood up and faced her. She wore a serious expression on her face, and glowered at him for a few moments before turning around, a voiceless command for him to follow her to a place where they wouldn't be heard. Zuko obeyed.

"I know you did something to Aang." He had seen this coming, and therefore didn't reply.

"I told you that one toe out of line and I was going to get rid of you forever," She said harshly. "I'm still staying true to my word, so you should be glad that Aang hasn't mentioned anything about whatever he's going through right now."

"Yeah." Zuko couldn't think of anything else to say.

"What did you _do_?!" Her nostrils flared and she waved an arm wildly, as if she was about to slap him.

"Nothing!" he shot back. "We met a bunch of dragons, they taught us a few dance moves and gave us a bit of their power. We're just reeling from the side effects," he said more calmly, albeit with gritted teeth.

"I _doubt _that." She crossed her arms. "Aang can barely speak, let alone stand. You two can't even look each other in the eye. I can see it. He's in a lot of pain, and he just won't tell me. Well, I'll have you know that the moment he _does_—"

"Katara!" The pair were jolted out of their argument and turned to see Aang standing near them. He still appeared flushed, but otherwise was strong enough to cast the girl a serious look. "Nothing happened, okay? So, I'd appreciate it if you left Zuko alone. I need to talk to him, myself."

"A-alright, Aang," Katara responded meekly, shocked at the fact that she had just been told off by the very boy she had been trying to protect. Turning on her heel, she walked away without another word.

Zuko closed his eyes and wanted to melt on the spot. He was already beginning to drive the two apart, thanks to the dragon-related dilemma. He didn't want this. He had wanted to arrive home safely from that place, and show their friends what they had learned. They would have joked and laughed without a care in the world, and he and the avatar would still be able to act normally around each other...

"Zuko," Aang's voice had snapped him out of his reverie. It was tired and scratchy, and Zuko was taken aback. The avatar had used up virtually all his strength just to prove to the waterbender that he was okay.

"What is it?" _Ping_. The burning feeling was intensifying again, and Zuko instinctively backed away from the other boy. Noticing that Aang's hardened expression had transformed into that of desperation, Zuko got a clear idea of what the airbender was going to talk to him about.

"I-I don't know how much longer I can keep this up," Aang said, sounding like he was about to cry, and Zuko only felt worse.

"Me neither," he found himself admitting softly.

"Then... _Why_...?"

Zuko couldn't muster a reply. Why, indeed? Well, he did not want to kiss a boy (again), for one thing, though that was the least of his worries. He knew about the avatar's feelings for the watertribe girl. He didn't _want_ to develop some sort of twisted symbiotic relationship with Aang that would ruin their pure, innocent romance. It didn't feel right, being a full-fledged teenager with urges to kiss a pre-pubescent young boy. He didn't want to betray Mai. There were so many reasons, but Zuko found himself unable to say any of them.

"..."

_Ping_.

Zuko was hoping he would pass out at any second, just so he wouldn't feel that pain anymore. The sudden burst of throbbing in him alerted him to the fact that the avatar was suddenly oh so close, staring up at him expectantly like a baby eelhound would at its master, begging for a treat. Aang's eyes were watering. Zuko was horrified by what kind of effect this whole thing was having on the younger boy, but entranced at the same time. Part of him wanted to take a step back, to flee for Aang and his sake, but the energy had frozen his legs to the spot.

Taking Zuko's lack of reaction as a sign of approval, Aang stepped forward, and placed a tattooed hand on Zuko's chest. Curling his fist around the layers of cloth, Aang's gaze never left the other boy's, who stared back with just as much concentration.

They were inhaling and exhaling simultaneously at that point, practically sharing the air around them. Aang could feel the other boy's warm breath on his face. It was much, much hotter than usual and Aang knew why. He hadn't wanted to do this, really. He had no interest in Zuko. He had wanted them to stay _friends_ and do things that only friends did.

But he couldn't ignore the fire in him anymore.

Aang closed his eyes and slowly began to lean forward. Imagining Katara in Zuko's place would help, he thought, even though their lips didn't feel even remotely the same. Katara's were tender and as cool as the water she bended. Zuko's on the other hand, were hot, and the last time they kissed, Aang had traced the boy's lips with his own, feeling the tiny cuts and wounds that had never really healed. They weren't _so _bad, and Aang vowed to kiss Katara ten times more in the future, for every kiss he had to share with Zuko--

A hand suddenly clamped down on his wrist, and Aang's eyes flew open in surprise.

"Aang. Stop." _Ping._ Zuko was looking down at him, his golden eyes devoid of hope, and the firebender slowly removed Aang's fist from his tunic.

The fiery energy inside Aang raged in protest and pain erupted in every part of his body, especially in his chest. _Ping._

The airbender's eyes were glassy. He was in shock. He had been _rejected_.

"I'm sorry," Zuko whispered, and he truly did look sorry but Aang just couldn't believe what was happening. _Ping._

"I can't," the firebender added, and the pain in his voice was as plain as day.

"O-okay," Aang replied shakily, and the boy abruptly spun around and walked as fast as he could in the opposite direction. He felt ashamed of what he had done, and the aching was at its worst. Briefly wondering if he was going to burst into flame at any moment, Aang told himself he wouldn't cry. He would never be able to look at Zuko after that, that's all...

"Good night, Zuko." His voice was hollow, completely devoid of emotion, as he quickened his pace.

Zuko looked at the retreating figure, and waited until he disappeared from view before he crumpled to the ground in a lifeless heap. Clutching his chest, Zuko willed himself to sleep. No sleeping bag would give him comfort, and he hoped that the energy would not affect his dreams too.

Shutting his eyes, he added regret to the long list of negative emotions he was feeling at that very moment

**To Be Continued**


	3. Instigation

Ever since their encounter a few nights before, Zuko noticed that the avatar had become withdrawn, avoiding him at all costs. The firebender, in turn, had grown frustrated as a result, for Aang distancing himself meant that Zuko felt utterly unwelcome in their group. The waterbender hated him – she made that clear ever since he first joined, and her brother only talked to him to make jabs at his heritage. The earthbender was civil, at least, although Zuko knew that they both had very little to talk about, and thus rarely conversed at all.

The other three – the male earthbender with a hideous moustache, the small boy and the guy in a wheelchair – only talked amongst themselves, and although they never openly antagonized Zuko, he could often feel their wary gazes on his back. They were cautious of him, and the banished prince figured that Katara most likely told them about the things he had done in the past.

Aang used to vouch for him, Zuko thought sadly, and he found himself missing all the times that the younger boy would actually make conversation in order to keep him from feeling lonely. Those cherished moments were now long gone, and Zuko had to get used to this new, reclusive avatar who wouldn't even look him in the eye. Aang's sulking was really beginning to aggravate him, because there was now no more reason for him to stay with the group; Aang had stopped talking to him altogether, so their firebending practice had been put on an indefinite hiatus.

It was during one afternoon, two days after their catastrophic discussion that Zuko finally decided to put his foot down. When the group had dispersed to do various chores, he cautiously approached Aang, who was in the now deserted main temple.

"Aang," he said loudly, and the other boy, who had been playing with Momo, immediately froze at the sound of his voice. "Can we talk?" Zuko stared at the boy sitting down in front of him. His back was turned, but the firebender noticed how his shoulders tensed. He was cringing.

"Can't we talk later?" The boy said in an uncharacteristically hoarse voice. "I'm kind of busy with Momo at the moment." His seemingly aloof nature made Zuko's temper flare. Stay calm, the ex-prince told himself. He knew what would happen if he started to feel strong emotions – _Ping._

Too late.

Zuko groaned inwardly, and began a silent battle to constrict the excess energy swirling around in his body.

"Look," he snapped. He knew that there was no more point in trying to control his emotions, for the urge had already been activated. "I'm... Sorry I couldn't give you what you wanted that night," That was a sentence he never thought he would say, especially to Aang, of all people.

"But we can't let this – this thing – affect your firebending training. You haven't practiced in days, and Sozin's comet is drawing closer and closer. If you slack off now, you'll never be able to defeat my father!"

Aang let out a loud laugh that did not sound happy at all; it chilled Zuko to the bone. Shoulders shaking, the airbender seemed to be trying to stifle his chuckles. The older boy could only stare at Aang's back, feeling a mixture of confusion and fear.

"Trust me, Zuko," Aang said. "Me not knowing firebending is the least of our problems. Besides, we've already learned everything from those dragons, haven't we?" He let out another unsettling laugh. "That's what got us in this situation in the first place." The boy's tone suddenly became bitter. "Life? Energy? Fire has _always_ been about destroying things and creating disorder. We're living proof of that."

Zuko had had enough. With a growl, the scarred teenager grabbed Aang's shoulder and hoisted him up roughly, spinning him around so they were face-to-face. The airbender kept his head bowed, preventing Zuko from reading his expression.

"What is _wrong_ with you?!" The firebender snarled. "One little accident and you're acting like a wounded boar-Q-pine, snapping at anyone who comes close, especially _me_!" He shook Aang's shoulders for emphasis. _Ping_.

"It's not even _my _fault this happened, and you're just making everything worse by being so selfish, and not wanting to learn firebending anymore. If an incident like that is all it takes to get you to give up, then you're even _weaker_ than I thought." Another shove. _Ping_. Zuko allowed his uninhibited anger to take full control.

"You are probably the _weakest_ avatar known to man," he shot, livid to the point that he no longer cared about what he said. The excess energy churned inside him, satisfied with the raw emotion being expressed.

A pair of hands grabbed Zuko's forearms and shoved him back painfully. The fire nation prince stumbled backwards, and caught Aang's gaze. The airbender had finally looked up, and Zuko was shocked to see tears forming in Aang's stormy gray eyes. His hardened expression made it clear that Zuko had touched a nerve.

"I am _not_ weak!" He yelled, blasting the older teen backwards with a gust of airbending.

"Then don't let it control you! Stop acting like a child!" Zuko argued, landing nimbly on his feet. He retaliated with a powerful wave of fire, sending it towards Aang. The other boy cancelled it out with a fireball of his own, and proceeded to leap into the air, emitting a stream of fire from his right palm.

"I wasn't acting like a child!" He roared. "I was just doing what the sun warrior said!"

Blocking the attacks with his own fireblasts, Zuko exhaled.

"And I was ignoring it for our own _sakes_!" He aimed a kick at Aang's chest, and the airbender blocked it with his fists. The two went down in a tangle of limbs, still wrestling on the ground and forgetting about their bending completely. They had stopped arguing, instead resorting to grunts and other animalistic noises, no longer thinking rationally.

_Pingpingpingpingping_.

Each punch delivered brought a certain amount of pain, but in a way, it also brought relief, for the energies inside them revelled in the uninhibited contact between the two, seizing whatever chance they could to escape bit by bit from the confines of their human cages. The brief sparks of unity ignited them and made them want more. Zuko and Aang continued to grapple, neither aiming for victory at that point. They simply wanted to fight until they had no strength left. Pure instinct dominated their thoughts, affected by the excess powers that had finally managed to gain control over them, at least for the time-being.

Zuko had managed to pin Aang beneath him, and raised his fist, determined to bring it down on Aang's face. The avatar merely glared, trying to push Zuko off with as much force as he could muster.

Before Zuko could deliver the final blow, a torrent of water came out of nowhere and struck him, sending him crashing to the ground. The firebender groaned and was about to get up when solid rock encased his wrists and ankles tightly, pinning him to the stone floor of the air temple. Craning his neck, he saw the waterbender and the earthbender running towards Aang. He groaned a second time. This had been the worst possible time for those two to walk in on them.

"Aang! Are you okay?" Came Katara's distressed voice as she pulled the bald boy up and gave him a once-over. "I _knew _he was trying to get you all along. Did he hurt you, Aang?"

"I've trapped him, don't worry," Toph said as she approached the two. "Want me to finally inflict my payback for when he burned my feet?" She grinned and cracked her knucles menacingly.

"In a second, Toph," Katara said in encouragement, and Zuko emitted a strangled squeak from his spot on the ground.

Aang blinked. What were Zuko and he doing earlier again? He could barely remember. All he recalled was that they had been talking, and all of a sudden they began fighting. The whole time, his body had tingled, finally having touched Zuko's again. Closing his eyes for a few seconds, Aang rubbed his forehead with one hand. Had the energy really taken complete control of him...?

"I'm fine, guys," he said, opening his eyes and smiling. The itch was still there, stirring deep inside of him, and he ignored it. "Zuko and I were just sparring," he explained with as much cheer as he could muster.

"If you were, then how come your heart's beating uncontrollably fast?" Toph pointed out. Aang cursed her ability to tell if someone was lying.

"Wouldn't you be afraid too if someone almost punched you in the face a few seconds ago?"

"It certainly didn't look like sparring to me, Aang." Katara said, looking suspicious and ignoring Toph's quiet "Not really." She cast another glare in Zuko's direction. "He looked like he was really about to hurt you."

"We got a bit carried away. It's just roughhousing... A guy thing."

"You and Sokka don't look that serious when you do your 'roughhousing'."

"That's because I can never take Sokka seriously when he starts yelling out fake attack names," Aang said. He then turned to Toph. "So will you let him go now, please?"

"If you say so." Although she sounded unconvinced, the blind girl curled her fists and made a downwards motion with her hands. A loud rumbling noise alerted Aang that Zuko had been freed from his restraints.

Slowly getting up, the firebender walked towards them, rubbing his sore wrists. He faced Aang, his expression stoic.

"I'm sorry I let things get out of hand." He spoke loudly, wanting both Katara and Toph to hear is apology. "I guess I got a little too competitive. There was a point wherein I sort of... Couldn't control my drive. Forgive me." He bowed.

Aang's eyes widened. So the energies really _were_ responsible for both of their actions. It became apparent that they both had not been acting themselves. Despite the chilling revelation, Aang smiled genuinely for the first time in days; he was touched by Zuko's heartfelt apology and attempt to rekindle the brief friendship they had shared.

"It's okay. It happened to the both of us," he replied, and Zuko stared at him before nodding in understanding. Katara and Toph were most likely still sceptical, but at that point, Aang didn't care. He hated fighting with Zuko, but he hated not talking to the firebender a million times more.

"If it's alright with you, I'd like to continue our firebending training sometime later in the afternoon. I think I've been getting pretty sloppy because of my break. Don't you think so, sifu hotman?"

"Sure thing." Zuko smiled back, and Aang wanted to leap into the air from happiness, feeling as if they had just conquered a major obstacle.

----

At dusk, Zuko and Aang met at their usual training spot in one of the smaller temples, making sure that no one would disturb them. They weren't too worried, having both bowed out of dinner duty for that night. Katara was washing the dishes in a nearby lake, and Sokka was doing the hunting, which meant it would take hours before they were finally called to dinner.

It seemed as if their previous awkwardness had vanished, although not completely. Despite the fact that they could look at each other again and speak in complete sentences, there were random _ping_s occurring every now and then. Fortunately, the sudden urges were more spread out, and not as strong as they used to be. The two boys figured that even the energies inside them needed time to rest, and relished the moments that they actually felt free from the forces' spell.

"We're finally done with the basic routines. Good job, Aang," Zuko congratulated, after they had both launched one final fireball and assumed defensive stances. Aang grinned – he had sorely missed Zuko calling him by his name.

"So , what now?" He asked, stretching his arms and popping several joints in the process. Zuko paused for a moment, thinking.

"I guess I should finally teach you firebreath."

"Cool!" The ex-prince smiled at the younger boy's enthusiasm and looked straight at him, then adopted a serious expression for their lesson.

"Firebreath is one of the more useful firebending moves," he began, recalling Iroh's lessons from years ago. His uncle had been known for that move, after all, and Zuko was proud to have learned it straight from him. He briefly wondered if Aang felt honoured to be learning under him, as well. Disregarding such foolish thoughts, he continued.

"It's also one of the most complicated moves, because the proper form isn't some routine you follow using your hands and feet. It's much different, and you have to learn to produce fire from your mouth." Exhaling sharply, Zuko demonstrated. A cloud of flame burst from his parted lips and extinguished almost as quickly. Aang applauded, looking amazed.

"It requires a lot of control. Exhale too much and you might end up burning your face off. Exhale for too long and you could suffocate from lack of air. You need to find the right balance... And once you've let out your firebreath, continue exhaling for a few more moments. If you don't," Zuko's expression hardened. "You'll inhale smoke, and, well, that's never good." The avatar nodded, still reeling from the long-winded explanation. Zuko had made it sound like one little error could result in his own death.

"Now you try." Aang gulped and stiffened his posture. Zuko slowly approached him, studying his jaw. "Just stand straight, and lift your head a bit... Some more... A little more. Yeah, that's it. You can take a few breaths first to calm yourself down." Aang did as he was told, breathing more heavily than one usually did. Zuko couldn't help but chuckle, as he strode back to his original spot, directly in front of the other boy.

"Umm... Are you sure you should be standing there?" Aang asked worriedly. "I might hit you by accident."

"Then think of this as an extra incentive to get it right." Zuko didn't budge, and Aang gulped once more. You can do this, he told himself. Just concentrate...

Aang inhaled slowly, and then let the air back out bit by bit, breathing out softly in order for the heat to escape his mouth in small doses. Almost immediately, he felt his breath grow much hotter, and happily realized that he was firebreathing. However, He could not see the flame, for it was tiny and swirling in front of his lips. Ecstatic, Aang exerted more effort. The fire grew and soon it became evident in his line of sight. In front of him, Zuko was nodding, looking impressed.

More confident than ever, the avatar decided to see if he could imitate the blasts the dragons had done. Exhaling once more, his firebreath grew in size, and he exerted more force... _Ping._

To his own horror, Aang realized that he had lost control and blew out too much air. His airbending instincts took over and the flames were extinguished by the powerful gust that left Aang's mouth. Unfortunately, Zuko had no time to get out of the way, and was promptly pushed backwards by the wind.

"Oof!" The firebender landed on his rump on the ground, and upon seeing his shell-shocked expression, Aang couldn't help it. He laughed.

That proved to be a bad idea. Snorting loudly unexpectedly caused the avatar to exhale flames from his nose, and before he knew it, he had repeatedly burned the top of his utter lip.

"Ow, ow, ow!" Aang cried out, clutching his mouth and inhaling sharply. Catching smoke in his lungs, the avatar's eyes popped open and he began coughing. He lost control of his firebending completely. "Zu-ko!" He struggled to say in between coughs – each one caused a breath of fire to emit from his mouth. "He-lp!"

The firebender immediately got up and ran towards Aang, who, through his coughs, had managed to light his monk robes on fire. Cursing loudly, Zuko patted the other boy down, and extinguished the flames with help from his own firebending. He began hitting Aang on the back, too, as the boy continued to cough uncontrollably. Fire was still exiting through his mouth. Zuko was dismayed, realizing that the younger boy had lapsed into a coughing fit. To quell the situation, he brought his palm close to Aang's mouth while he gripped the boy's shoulder with his other arm.

"Shhh, just breathe out. Don't worry," he whispered comfortingly, and through his own expert use of firebending, absorbed the flames escaping Aang's mouth. The boy was still jerking and coughing involuntarily, but the intensity of his actions died down. Soon, the breaths of fire he released got smaller and smaller.

With one final jerk, Aang coughed out one last flame which Zuko caught and extinguished skilfully. Unexpectedly, the movement caused Aang's head to bob, and he consequently found his lips touching Zuko's palm lightly.

_Ping._

"Ugh," the two boys groaned. They had been doing so _well_.

Aang jumped back, looking aghast. "I'm sorry!" he practically yelled, as he covered his mouth with one hand. "I didn't mean to!"

Zuko frowned and stared at his palm. It had gone absolutely numb from the momentary pleasure, and he could feel the fire burning up within him once again. It seems as if they had inadvertently awakened the energies once again.

"I know you didn't," he said reassuringly. "It's alright, Aang. Was an accident."

Aang let out a loud sigh of exasperation as he grabbed his own stomach. "It's coming back again," he said worriedly.

"Yeah. I feel it too." Staring at the firebender for a few seconds, the avatar's expression grew serious as he closed the distance between him and Zuko.

"Can I talk to you about something?" The scarred boy raised an eyebrow.

"Sure."

"Well, I just wanted to say that I s-still don't have feelings for you or anything," Aang stuttered, rubbing the back of his head out of nervousness.

"That's good to know. Likewise for me."

"I know this 'c-cause when we, well... 'Do stuff'," Both boys flushed darkly at his connotation. "I feel relief in my stomach. Butterflies, yeah, but I know those are the energies talking." Zuko nodded. "B-but when it's someone else, my heart beats faster, too, and I feel really happy, you know? Do you feel the same way too?"

"Yes," came Zuko's short reply.

"B-but just because we don't have feelings for each other, doesn't mean we shouldn't satisfy the whims of these energies," Aang gestured wildly. "You know what happened when we ignored them last time!"  
"Aang," Zuko interrupted. He looked almost angry. "We can't." The avatar thought that was the last straw. Zuko had been resistant (and not to mention vague) for a long time, and he had grown sick of it.

"Why _not_?!" He yelled. "Do you really want them to take control of us again like earlier?!" Zuko twitched, recalling the events and replaying them in his mind.

"It _is _taking control of us, even right now. It messes with our emotions," he glared at the airbender. "It's already doing Agni-knows-what to us, and the last thing we should do is submit completely. Besides," he turned away. "This... This is just messed. We're screwing around with your feelings here, Aang. The last thing I want to do is destroy your relationship with the watertribe girl," Aang gaped upon hearing those words and blushed. He hadn't expected Zuko to figure out his feelings for Katara so quickly.

"I'm much older than you," Zuko muttered. "It's wrong to do these things to you. You're just a kid," Facing away from the younger boy, Zuko did not see Aang's brief smile.

"And you're just a teenager." Walking forward, Aang drew closer to him and allowed a smirk to grace his features. "Don't worry about me, Zuko..." He whispered, causing Zuko to whip around and stare at him with wide eyes.

"Aang..." He warned, looking slightly afraid as he backed away from the young monk. The avatar simply continued closing the distance between them, grinning almost maniacally.

"Was that really the only reason, Zuko?" He asked. The energies encouraged him, cheering as he took the initiative.

"N-no... There was..." But the rest of Zuko's sentence was cut short as he found himself bumping back first into a column. He inwardly cursed, realizing how much he hated air nomad architecture. "Don't do this, Aang," he pleaded almost desperately, knowing he was trapped. "I don't want to screw with your mind."

"My mind was already screwed up in the first place," Aang shrugged, and waved an arm slightly. Zuko began to sweat, and a low rumbling sound alerted him to the fact that Aang had pinned him against the column, trapping his wrists against the stone using earthbending. He noted with chagrin that this was the second time that day that an earthbending attack had left him defenseless. Struggling, he grunted and tried to pull himself free, but to no avail.

Another rumbling sound reached his ears, and the banished prince observed Aang earthbend himself a mound of rock beneath his feet, thus making him slightly taller than Zuko. The firebender paled – Aang's face was merely inches away from his own.

"What are you—" His protest was interrupted when Aang's lips practically smashed against his, without a single ounce of control or grace. Zuko's insides exploded with ecstasy, the energies swirling excitedly and leaving his body in large amounts. He almost swore that there was actual steam rising from the both of them. The kiss felt hot and part of Zuko wondered if it was from their firebreathing, the energies, or the heat of the moment. Probably all of the above, he decided, his mind hazy from all the pleasure.

Why did he ever even try to fight back in the first place? Gazing up at Aang's face with glassy eyes, the firebender realized how wrong he was to try and resist the avatar, of all people. What had he been thinking? The kiss felt _perfect_ and he found himself not wanting Aang's lips to ever leave his own. They could have stayed like that forever and he wouldn't have minded at all...

The airbender parted his lips slightly, and Zuko shuddered when he felt a soft tongue caress his own. He had only done that before with Mai, but as far as Aang was concerned, it was a wholly new experience. Both boys couldn't help but moan as their tongues battled for dominance, Aang having leaned forward against Zuko for support and was now running his hands over the older boy's waist and arms. The friction between their bodies was both heavenly and agonizing, for both of them felt rapturous sensations and yet yearned for more.

It seemed as if they had been kissing for hours, and neither boy minded. Both had resigned themselves happily to this fate and thought that it wouldn't be so bad... They'd willingly do this for all eterni—

"AAAAAAAAH!" Two screams, a sudden thump and the sound of something shattering jolted them back to reality and Aang promptly fell off his makeshift footstool, both boys' heads snapping up and turning towards the direction from which the noises had come from. Their eyes widened as they saw Sokka, standing over an animal carcass (he must have dropped it out of surprise) and pointing at them, hollering unintelligibly. Toph was blinking, most likely trying to make sense of what was going on based on the tremors she had felt, and Katara stood frozen. A broken pot lay at her feet, its liquid contents seeping in all directions, but the waterbender did not seem to care. She merely gaped at them, mouth opening and closing, as if imitating a goatfish.

"Were they doing what I felt they were doing?!" Toph queried, still blinking rapidly.

No one answered her.


End file.
